I grew up in a household where all our bread was made from scratch by my father.
So I’ve got a major guilt complex about store bought bread. I enjoy making bread, (and certainly enjoy eating it) but it’s simply never become second-nature to me.
My friend Lise just sent me a video link about how to make “No Knead Bread.” This incredibly easy bread is easier to make than the play-dough I used to mix up when my sons were preschoolers. (And that was hardly rocket science.)
It does take 18 hours to rise, so I’m going to mix up the dough tonight and give it a whirl.
Because nothing is better in the winter months than the smell of hot baked bread, served with a hearty soup.
Who knows? I may become a master baker before the week is even up. Then I’ll just have to figure out something else to feel guilty about.
Do you bake bread for your family? Please share your bread baking experiences in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I started making bread. Baked my first loaf last week and baked some hamburger and hot dog buns on Friday and a loaf of bread and some buns today.
To be honest, I like the kneading of the bread. It just takes ten minutes or so and I find it relaxing to gently knead the bread.
I used to bake bread every day, when the kids were at home, but then I lived alone for years and didn’t even eat bread much. Now I’m remarried into a houseful of relatives, and they love homemade bread. The trick is to keep an eye on the fresh bread so they don’t tear into it while it’s still too hot to slice! My breadmaking skills are pretty well-honed now, and I don’t mind kneading. I don’t even use a recipe. For a while we didn’t have an oven, so I made bread in a skillet on top of the stove. Just form it into patties about an inch thick, and cook on both sides in a lightly greased cast-iron skillet until it’s doen through. They look like English muffins. My husband will still ask for “skillet bread” from time to time.
People tend to think that baking bread is this magical, mysterious process. It is truly the easiest and most forgiving item that I make. There have been so many times that I have forgotten that it is rising, or we have had to leave the house. I put it in the garage or fridge and bake it the next day. Laurel’s Kitchen has the best hints – for whole grains do not keep adding water. Keep kneading and it becomes less sticky. That tip alone has made baking whole grain breads worthwhile. Again, cookbook authors want to keep it mysterious so they can sell their books. Find a book like Tassajara Bread Book or Laurel’s Kitchen that assume breadmaking is a part of life. And please post about the no-knead bread. I am intending to try it this winter so I can make bread during our two week trips in the motorhome…(and I just saw your posts reprinted at simpleliving.net – congratulations, they are a very worthwhile organization.)
There are lots of no-kneed bread out there. I agree that kneeding isn’t that hard, but if you don’t have space to do that, the no-kneed breads are a great option.
I enjoy making the kneaded breads too, and don’t find that they take long to knead. When I first heard about the no knead breads, I wondered what the difference was between them and the old batter breads. So I looked up a recipe and found that the batter bread rises for 1 hour! Why does the no knead bread require 17 hours more and why is this considered easier? I’ve only tried a batter bread recipe once, but it turned out quite tasty.
I am a bread machine queen…yes, it takes a bit of electricity, but is probably cheaper than firing up my oven to bake it. I got the machine for free (yay for friends outsourcing stuff they don’t use!) And I don’t have to knead that way. I’m a single mom, so if we’re going to have homemade bread (which we have exclusively for 6-8 months, now) it’s going to be in a bread machine. 😛 This bread does look interesting, though, so I may try it.
OK, I had a chance to go back and look at the video. Personally, I think that you’re better off with a traditional bread dough, from a time management perspective, but hey, it’s worth a shot. I think you have to be careful making a PBJ or anything drippy with the holes that that bread produces. Also, you HAVE to make sure that you use warm water with that – I don’t think the baker mentioned that. Good luck!
You should get Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day at the library. It will change your life. I bake bread several times a week now. It’s fabulous.
Yup, I bake bread probably five days a week…rolls, English Muffins, loaves, french bread, coffeecakes, breadsticks, etc. I’ve been doing it since I was 15, so it’s pretty much second nature to me now.
I need to get my rear in gear and post some baking stuff on my blog.
I did a pictorial of my recipe for no-knead bread here:
http://red-icculus.com/?p=21
It is simple and a tasty addition to almost any meal.
I second getting Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes from your library. Their website has pretty good instructional videos, too. http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/ This month’s Mother Earth News has the master recipe: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx
Hello, by the way! Stumbled upon your blog recently, and I’ve learned a lot already.
I cheat, I use a breadmaker. But, I haven’t bought store-made bread in nearly a year. I figure it has to be better for my kids, without all those chemicals and preservatives. And I save a ton of $ by getting the ingredients in bulk, on sale.
We bake bread a couple times a week. I use a honey wheat recipe. I’ve never tried a no-knead bread before…didn’t realize they had to “work” so long! I agree with GLM – from a time management perspective, traditional bread dough is easier in the long run.
You can knead the bread right in the bowl if you don’t have room. When we didn’t have an oven, we were living in a travel trailer. I make sure that nothing gets stored on my countertops so I always have an open space for kneading bread or rolling out pierogy dough. That’s another benefit of downsizing and decluttering – you get your kitchen back. I can live without a microwave, a toaster, a coffeemaker, a blender and a food processor, but the rest of the family considers the first three essential.
Hi Katy, Gerard got a kitchen aid mixer for his birthday and he has been baking bread every Sunday since. We are always inspired by you.
Jen
Love this blog! I quit buying bread when my dh gifted me with a grain mill for Christmas 2 years ago. We’ve been a 100% fresh ground whole wheat family for breads, pizza, cookies and brownies since then. I do make it easy on myself; I use a bread machine to proof my bread dough for most of my loaves. If I need to produce more than 1 loaf at a time, my stand mixer does all the hard work. My family is small (2 kids), but with a fuzzy dog and 2 cats running around, I prefer to keep the dough contained and covered!
I have to admit I have worked as a baker and of course I make all our baked goods…from quick breads to baguettes to naan. I highly recommend the King Arthur Flour Website, it contains great recipes and good reviews. I also recommend their flours they are high quality, in flour you get what you pay for . I personally only finish hand kneading my bread I use a stand mixer for most of the work.
If your interested in some serious baking or just reading about it check out the Village Baker by Joe Ortiz.